A generic machining device comprises a stationary frame, a workpiece magazine, and a workpiece slide capable of being moved relatively to the frame and adapted to accommodate one workpiece. The workpiece magazine is configured to accommodate a number of workpieces that can be moved by the workpiece magazine to an interchange point. Furthermore, the workpiece slide is configured to carry out a translational movement of the workpiece along an X axis when the workpiece is being machined, for example, in a milling, drilling, and/or grinding operation.
Generic machining devices are known. In such generic machining devices, the workpiece magazine serves to accommodate a plurality of workpieces so that the workpiece can be interchanged automatically without manual intervention when one workpiece has been machined to completion and a new workpiece is to be mounted on the workpiece slide for machining purposes. The known machining devices usually comprise a separate manipulating mechanism that serves to transfer a workpiece from the workpiece magazine to the machining position. For this purpose, the manipulating equipment picks up a workpiece located at the interchange point of the workpiece magazine and keeps it in the machining position for subsequent machining Pallet systems are also known in which pallets, together with workpieces clamped thereon, are moved automatically to a machining position, in which machining then takes place while the pallet remains stationary.
The disadvantage of that known design is that the manipulating equipment requires additional space and involves additional costs. Particularly in the case of machining devices configured to produce dental prosthetic items from blanks, the additional space required by the manipulating equipment is a drawback since these devices are intended to have a space-saving design to allow them to be set up in a dental laboratory or a dentist's premises.
It could therefore be helpful to improve a generic machining device, especially to the effect that workpieces can be transferred from the workpiece magazine to the machining position on the workpiece slide without incurring the drawbacks of the prior art.